Annunciator



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A. D. ROLLINSl ANNUNGIATOR Original Filed Nov. 6, .1926

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A. D. ROLLINS Dec. 6, 1938.

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.Attornely/S Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANNUNCIATOR Arch D. Rollins, Chicago, Ill., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Temporator Company, Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Illinois 3 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in annunciators and particularly to an annunciator system adaptable for use in factories or organi- Zations where a relatively large number of individuals are working at 4generally fixed points in a factory or building. One purpose of my invention is to provide an annunciator system whereby the employees can call the central oice. Another object is the provision of annunciator means whereby the individual employees may not merely call the central ofce but may indicate to the central office, within fair range, what their need is. Another object is the provision of a warning system whereby individuals Working at scattered points may quickly signal for held or assistance or cooperation to a central oilice. Other objectswill appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

This application is a division of my original application Serial No. 146,613 filed November 6, 1926, which is now Patent 1,973,727, issued September 18, 1934.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation of the indicator portion of the annunciator;

Figure 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale with the front plate removed;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Figure 11;

Figure 5 is a detailed view of an indexing dial;

Figure 6 is a section similar to Figure 4 but however showing the pawl in engagement with a stop;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 'l--1 of Figure 2;

Figure S is a detail of the cover of one of the indicator wheels;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the arm shown lor example in Figures 4 and 6;

Figure 10 is an enlarged section on the line I-ID of Figure 3;

Figure 11 is a section on the line I I-l l of Figure 3;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a portion of a wheel or reel to which one of the covers shown in Figure 8 is attached;

Figure 13 is a perspective of a switch brake, or stop, and

Figure 14 is a diagrammatic View of the entire installation, showing the electric circuits.

Like parts are illustrated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the central annunciator structure shown for example in Figures 1, 2 and 7, A is any suitable housing or enclosure having the side walls A1 and the transverse supporting and spacing pins A2 each slotted at a plurality of points as at A3. In the mechanism herein shown I employ an annunciator system having two banks of annunciating mechanisms each sucio bank being mounted on a pair oi the transverse pins A3, and limited as to inward movement by a third of said pins A2, as shown in Figure 7. I need, however, describe the' details of but one of said banks. A4 are any suitable cover plates secured to the iront oi the main housing A and each provided with three rows of apertures, the upper square apertures A5 and the lower round apertures A6, A". Above each square ap-erture A5 I may put any suitable indicating symbol, relating to the source of the impulses which position the below-described indicator mechanism behind the various square apertures.

Each bank of annunciator mechanisms consists of a plurality ci independent and separately removable units.

Each such unit includes a supporting plate B adapted to engage and be positioned -by the slots A3 in the various supporting pins A2. At the forward end of the unit the plate B is bent at right angles as at Bl and the most of the various below-described stops and supporting members are punched or stamped out of the plates B. Thus B2 is a shelf bent from the top of the plate B to which is bolted the magnet support B3 to which is secured the core B4 and the magnet coil B5. C is a lever pivoted as upon the pin C1 and kept in position thereupon for example by the spring washer C2. Its upper arm terminates in a disc C3 opposed to the magnet core B4 within the magnet coil B5. Io its lower arm, as at C4, is pivoted the lever C5 the lower arm of which has the curved face C8 to engage the ledge or stop C6 formed in the plate B. The upper arm of the lever C5 is engaged by the tension spring C7 which normally moves it to the right, and the lever C comes against the stop C9 as shown in Figure 4.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figures 3 and 4 the extreme end of the curved face C8 of the lower arm of the lever C5 is in contact with the ledge C6. The result is a greater leverage at the beginning of the movement oi the lever C, and the effective length oi the lever decreases in proportion to the increasing strength of the magnetic Vforce of the magnet B5 and its core B4, acting upon the disc C3 of the lever C, as shown for example in Figure 6. As the power of the magnet increases the lever decreases in length.

At its upper extremity is pivoted the dog D which is normally urged in clockwise direction for example by the spiral spring D1. D2, D3 are xed stops formed in the -plate B and adapted to limit the movement of the dog D.

E is a fixed pin riveted to the plate or frame B and terminating in a square portion E1 .channeled as at E2 to receive the spring washer E3 which holds in position the various Vmembers mounted about the pin E. E4 is a collar rotatable about the pin on which is mounted a ratchet wheel E5. E5 are performated anges on said collar adapted to receive the pin E7 whereby the ring of ratchet teeth E5 and the various members below-described are held against rotation in relation to the collar. E5, E9 are a pair of wheels or perforated discs mounted on said collar and notched as at E10 to engage the pin E7. There are mounted back to Vback, as shown in Figure 10 and are surrounded by the indicator plate E11, as shown in Figure 8 the ears E12 at the ends thereof bent about the ledges formed by the notches E14 in the wheels.

G is a spiral spring the inner end of which is caught in the slotted washer G1 held against movement by the pin E7. The opposite end of the spring is locked upon the pins Gr2,.G3 upon the apertured disc G4 which is mounted upon the squared portion E1 of the pin E and thus iixed against rotation.

H is a switch brake member mounted about the sleeve E'1 and notched as at H1 to engage the pin E7. It is provided with the lugs H2 which pass through the apertures in the wheels E8, E9 and with a stop lug H3 bent in the opposite direction. The lug H3 is preferably formed with rounded curves at its face in order to insure proper cooperation with the spring contact O, in a manner to be hereinafter explained.

I is a stop lever pivoted upon the pin I1 and held thereupon by the spring washer I2. It is urged, by the tension on the spring I3 to the right as shown in Figure 4 and is provided with a curved upper end I4 adapted to engage the faces of the ratchet teeth E5, normally preventing counterclockwise movement of the ratchet. The lever I is controlled by a push button I5 -threaded on a stem I5 terminating in the enlarged head I7. The spring I8 normally thrusts the stem to the left as shown in Figure 3, holding the head I7 against the exterior of the casing I9. It will be noted that the lower end of the lever I, adjacent to the push button I5, is offset laterally from the longitudinal axis of the lever, in order to provide for the proper vertical alignment of the character display window A5, the signal light aperture A5, and the push button aperture A7 on the front panel A4 of the casing.

J is a ledge formed on the plate or frame B adapted to support any suitable incandescent light socket J1 herein shown as of insulating material. J2 is an incandescent light aligned with the glass or lens J3. It will be understood that each push button I5 is positioned in an aperture A7 and each light J2 is positioned behind an aperture A5 as shown in Figure 1. vThe indicating symbols on the indicator covers E11 are aligned with the square apertures A5.

Referring to the schematic circuit diagram of Figure 14, and the electric connections as shown in Figure 2 and other gures, M is any suitable source of electric power. M1 is indicated as a lead from the positive terminal of said power source to a bar or strip or conductor M2 extending from Side to side of the entire indicator. Since the individual circuits are identical but one unit will be described. M3 is a Wire extending from the strip M2 to the magnet coil B5. The line M5 extends from said magnet coil to the short bar M6 and the circuit is continued thence by the wire M7 to any suitable electric indexing mechanism M8, the details of which form no part of the present invention. Suice it to say that I provide the indexing dial M9, diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 5, and any suitable mechanism controlled thereby for making and breaking the circuit which extends by the line M10 to the negative pole of the power source. Whereas setting the dial M9 to Number 1, for example, will make and break the circuit but once, setting it to 9 will make and break the circuit nine times. As the circuit is made by the rotation of the indexing dial the magnet coil B5 is excited, and the pin B4 is magnetized and draws to it the upper arm of the lever C.

When the lever C is thus rotated it closes the circuit diagrammatically shown in Figure 121 as passing through the off-normal switch or contact members O O1 and thence to the incandescent light J2 by the wire J4 and back by the line J5 to the strip M11 and thence by the line M12 to the negative pole of the power source.

Translating this schematic description, to lthe detailed mechanism of Figures 3 and 4 for example, the magnetization of the pin B4 rotates the lower arm of the lever C to the left. The lower arm of the lever C5 engages the stop C6 and the upper arm is thereby rotated in counterclockwise direction in response to movement of the lever C. The dog D is thereby moved to the left as shown in Figure 6. Since the stop D3 limits its upward movement in response to the springs D1, it engages one of the ratchet teeth E5 and rotates the ratchet wheel in clockwise direction. Its forward movement is limited by the stop D2 and the parts are so propcrtioned that a single movement of the lever C will rotate the ratchet, and thus the indicator wheels E8 E9 and the indicator plate or cover E10 a distance equivalent to one of the numerals on said strip E10. As soon as the circuit is broken at the indexing point the lever C is released, the lever C5 is withdrawn to the right by the spring C7 and the ratchet is engaged by the stop I4 and held against rearward movement. If, at the indexing point, the circuit is broken nine times, then obviously the ratchet will be contacted nine successive times by the dog D and the indicator strip will be advanced nine times so that the Figure 9 will be positioned behind the square aperture A5.

At the first closure of the circuit and the rst movement of the ratchet wheel by contact of the dog D the stop H3 is moved in clockwise direction and disengages the pin O5 on the spring contact O. It will be understood that the end of the spring O is insulated by the insulating material O5. The movement of the stop H3, by releasing the spring O permits the contact O7 on the spring O to engage an opposed contact or projection O8 on the opposite spring O1, to close the signal circuit connected thereto whenever the character wheel associated with said stop is moved to off-normal or non-indicating position.

It will be realized that whereas I have shown a practical and operative device and arrangement that nevertheless many changes might be made in the size, shape, number, location and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention and that I wish my description and drawings to be taken therefore as in a broad sense illustrative.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

I provide a centrally located indicator member as shown in Figure 1 which may be located for example in the oflice of a factory and which is under the observation of some operator. Each numbered column, consisting of an aperture A5 and electric light aperture A6 and a reset button I5 is connected with a given point, for example with a machine or work bench in a factory. Behind each aperture is an indicator drum on which may be any suitable number of symbols. I show in Figure 8 a drum plate having ten symbols, each symbol may by agreement be understood to relate to a given and predetermined need of the person or operator signaling and of course the code agreed upon may if desirable be diierentiated for different parts of a plant. If for example the symbol l denotes the need of an electrician or a repair man, or a technical expert of some kind, the person observing the indicator will note the need and send the required expert to the place where he is required. When the signal light in the aperture A6 flashes on the attention of the operator is called, and after sending the expert or other party whose attendance was signalled for, the operator presses the reset button I5, which extinguishes the light and returns the dial to blank position. The result of such an indicator system is the elimination of an enormous amount of running about and waste motion and a great reduction of the number of trips which need be made by employees, and a very large elimination of the use of messengers or call boys and the like.

I claim:

1. In a central station for grouped annunciators, a supporting structure including a plurality of spaced bars each provided with transversely aligned slots formed Within said bars, and an indicating unit removably supported upon said bars, said unit including a plate having an edge dimensioned to lit snugly Within the slots of said bars whereby to definitely locate the unit upon the supporting structure.

2. In a central station for grouped annunciators, a supporting structure including a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending bars provided with transversely aligned slots, there being at least three of said bars, two oi said bars being positioned to lie in a common substantially horizontal plane and another of said bars being disposed above said plane and rearwardly of said other bars, and an indicating unit removably supported upon said bars, said unit including a plate having an edge dimensioned to iit snugly within the slots of said bars whereby to denitely locate the unit upon the supporting structure.

3. In a central station for grouped annunciators, a supporting structure including a plurality of spaced longitudinally extending bars provided with a plurality of sets of transversely aligned slots, there being at least three of said bars, two of said bars being positioned to lie in a common substantially horizontal plane and another of said bars being disposed above said plane and rearwardly of said other bars, and an indicating unit removably supported upon said bars, said unit including a side plate having an edge thereof exposed on two adjacent sides thereof and dimensioned to t snugly within the slots of said bars whereby to definitely locate the unit upon the supporting structure.

ARCH D. ROLLINS. 

